Chinnor 80-10 Taunton Titans ( att : 976 ) – 2023/24 National League One

February 24, 2024

Since these diaries covered Chinnor’s narrow win over Sedgley Park, they recorded a convincing 31-10 victory over Rosslyn Park in their second Friday Night Lights fixture of the season, where an impressive crowd of 1,756 braved the appalling weather to attend.

Last week though, Chinnor slipped up 17-21 at Blackheath to end their run of 9 consecutive wins, and with Rams picking up maximum points over Bishop’s Stortford and Leicester Lions, Chinnor were now only top of the table on points difference.

With Chinnor and Rams both still having to travel to Birmingham Moseley, Plymouth Albion and Darlington Mowden Park, a few more twists and turns in the championship race should be expected.

Today’s visitors to Kingsey Road were familiar rivals Taunton Titans.

 

Taunton Titans

Taunton are in their second season in National League One after winning promotion by winning National League South in 2019/20. Last season they avoid relegation by finishing four points ahead of Esher.

Taunton started the day bottom of the table with just 4 wins from 19 games, but only three points from safety having clocked up 12 try scoring bonus points. Their total of 509 points scored was the 6^th best in the division but the 666 conceded was easily the worst.

Their 4 wins had been against some of the better sides in the division : 40-17 at home to Rosslyn Park, 33-24 at Darlington Mowden Park, 29-24 at home to Plymouth Albion and 49-14 against Sedgley Park. They also drove Rams very close, losing a high scoring game at home 35-41. Last time out they lost 14-38 at Rosslyn Park.

Wing Noah Fenton was the leading try scorer in National League One with 19 tries but was missing for today’s match, whilst flanker Charlie Wright had scored 14 tries. However, their problems were at the other end of the field and the inability to stop the other side from scoring, although South African Exeter Chief backrow forward Jacques Vermeulen had apparently been recently helping out with the coaching to improve their defence.

Previous Meetings

Since 2012/13 Chinnor and Taunton have faced each other 15 times, with 9 wins for Chinnor, 5 wins for Taunton and a 13-13 draw at Taunton 2016/17. Chinnor have had the better of Taunton in the past four seasons with a 5-1-1 record, and when the two sides met earlier in the season at Veritas Park, Chinnor ran out comfortable 53-21 winners.

Taunton’s one success in this period came in a remarkable 50-28 win at Chinnor last season, with major contributions from two players on loan from Exeter Chiefs. Flying wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, now an England international and on the bench for today’s Six Nations clash against Scotland, scored 3 tries, and there was an outstanding performance from fly-half George Worboys, who is now on loan at Chinnor !

Taunton’s other win at Kingsey Road came in 2015/16 where they won a close encounter 25-23, and between 2012/13 to 2014/15 they won their three home fixtures but lost the three away ones.

Matchday Information

After a week of heavy rain, the weather had relented today, and the temperature at the 15.00 kick-off time was 8 degrees on a dry and sunny day, and the usual Chinnor breeze was keeping a low profile. It was actually quite a pleasant afternoon, but there was a noticeable muddy patch where some 5 metre line-outs would no doubt be occurring.

The match was sponsored by DAF Trucks, who had some of their products parked up in the ground, and a brass band was providing the pre-match entertainment, playing traditional brass classics such as Hey Jude and Baggy Trousers !

Taunton were in quite a natty light blue kit with purple patterns, whilst Chinnor were in their usual black and white.

Both Chinnor and Taunton’s squads featured 7 players who played in the fixture last season

Match Report

Taunton kicked off towards the Showground end and after Chinnor dropped the ball in midfield Taunton wing Toby Clinch fly-hacked forward in to the Chinnor 22. Chinnor wing Kieran Goss got back to make an important tackle and Chinnor won the turnover, but then kicked the ball straight out.

From the line-out Taunton number 8, but wearing number 19, Ratu Vakalutukali made a strong run but after being tackled, Chinnor infringed at the ruck. Fly-half Louie Sinclair stepped up to slot the penalty from 30 metres in a central position to give Taunton an early lead. 0-3 after 2 minutes.

Chinnor looked to immediately hit back and from a ruck near half way, lock Oli Curry picked up and burst through a gap in the Taunton defence and fed scrum-half Carter, who made his way into the Taunton 22. However, his attempted pass was dropped and Taunton hacked clear to half-way, and then won a penalty, from which they kick to Chinnor’s 22 metre line.

Taunton secured their line-out ball and spread the ball wide but Chinnor again won a turnover at a ruck. Goss kicked deep into the Taunton 22, but again Chinnor were on the wrong side of the referee, who pinged them with another penalty.

Taunton took play back to half-way after which both sides engaged in a spell of kick tennis until Taunton kicked out on the full. From their line-out Chinnor produced a good backs move featuring Worboys, Hughes and Smith but the ball was knocked forward in the tackle and although Taunton were forced to touch down behind their own line, they had a scrum deep inside their 22. Although under pressure in the scrum, Taunton managed to clear to touch.

Chinnor spread the ball from their line-out and Goss scorched down the touch-line and the ball was then worked inside through several pairs of hands for captain and number 8 Willie Ryan to touch down under the posts. The conversion from Worboys was straightforward as the score moved to 7-3 with 11 minutes played.

Taunton seemed keen to play a running game but then needlessly kicked away possession only for Chinnor full-back to Feeney to kick out of the full. Taunton then won a penalty after a high tackle on flanker Charlie Wright, but the throw from the line-out wasn’t straight to give a scrum to Chinnor.

From the set piece, Chinnor put the ball through the hands as Worboys, Smith and Hughes all made yards and a great offload from Hughes enabled Worboys to run under the posts for a lovely try, and then convert his own try. 14-3 after 19 minutes.

Chinnor then produced another flowing move involving Worboys, Feeney, Hughes and Goss only to kick out on the full. Taunton won their line-out but under pressure conceded a penalty near half-way which Chinnor kicked to 5 metres. From the rolling maul the Chinnor pack rumbled over and prop Hardwick was credited with the touchdown. With the conversion sliding to the left it was 19-3 after 22 minutes.

Chinnor were now looking good and flanker Clementson ran from inside his 22 and fed wing Smith to run down the touchline. An inside pass found Carter who scampered under the posts for the bonus point try. The conversion was good was it was now 26-3 after 27 minutes.

Shortly after Titans knocked on in midfield but a good shove at the scrum won them a penalty to kick to the Chinnor 22. However, Chinnor won the decision at the subsequent ruck, and a much better effort at the scrum enabled Worboys to kick into the Taunton 22, where they won a penalty for not releasing.

Although the rolling maul from the 5 metre line-out was well defended, the ball was released to the backs for Feeney, in oceans of space, to cross the whitewash. Worboys again converted, taking the score to 33-3 with 37 minutes on the clock

Chinnor dropped the restart, and Taunton pressed for their first try. However, a dropped ball enabled Carter to counter attack and after offloading to Hughes, the move was illegally stopped by Titan full-back Frankie Dart, who was shown the yellow card. With time in the red zone, Taunton kept out Chinnor’s rolling maul and the following drive for the line was adjudged to have been held up over the line, and the referee blew for half-time with the score still 33-3.

Taunton came out for the second half looking for a quick score to get back into the match but after some expansive play they infringed at the ruck. Chinnor took a quick tap but Goss was tackled just short of the line, but his offload found Clementson to saunter over, and with another successful conversion the score had moved to 40-3 after 42 minutes.

When Chinnor attempted to clear the Taunton kick-off it was charged down, but Chinnor regained possession and went down their left-hand touchline with Goss. After that move was halted, Chinnor moved the ball to their right to Smith who kicked into the Taunton 22 after a run down the touchline. Sinclair gathered for Taunton but Chinnor were all over him and the ball popped up to Smith to go over in the corner. Worboys’ touchline conversion was fabulous as it became 47-3 after 44 minutes.

Interestingly, the game restarted with a penalty for Chinnor on the halfway line for foul play on Smith in the act of scoring, so play was immediately back to the Titans 22. Substitute back row forward Stokes made a break from the line-out but Chinnor knocked on in their attempts to keep the ball alive.

At the scrum Chinnor won a penalty, but the kick to touch actually went backwards so the line-out was further away than 5 meters. Nevertheless, the line-out was secured and hooker Walker burst through some half-hearted tackling to add another try to Chinnor’s total. Surprisingly, Worboys missed the relatively easy conversion. 52-3 after 50 minutes.

Taunton wing Oscar Stewart made a strong run down the left touchline and with a penalty advantage Taunton kept the ball alive. However, some off the ball foul play resulted in a yellow card to one of the Titan’s props and the penalty was reversed and awarded to Chinnor.

Taunton though won a penalty in midfield and were back in the Chinnor 22. Several drives for the try line were repelled and then a lose pass was pounced upon by Goss and Chinnor were able to clear their lines.

Chinnor were soon back on the attack and after the ball was spread wide, substitute Glister was able to score on his Chinnor debut and with another good conversion from Worboys from out wide, Chinnor now led 59-3 after 63 minutes.

The game was now a procession and Goss made an eye-catching break, drew the last man for Hughes to score in the corner, and Worboys immaculately converted from the touchline. 66-3 with 69 minutes gone.

Three minutes later Taunton gave up possession in midfield in their half, and it was easy for Worboys to canter over for his second try and add another conversion. 73-3 after 72 minutes.

Chinnor were not finished and after going down the blindside from a line-out, Hughes made good progress and set-up Worboys for yet another try. With the conversion Chinnor’s lead was now 80-3 with 79 minutes on the clock

However, there was still time for one more score, Chinnor dropped the ball after attempting an expansive move and Wright picked up to run 60 metres to score a consolation try for the visitors, to which Sinclair added the extras and the referee signalled the end of the match with the final score 80-10

The obvious man of the match was Chinnor fly half George Worboys with three tries and 10 conversions for a personal tally of 35 points as Chinnor scored 12 tries. Taunton scored in the second and final minute, it was the other 77 minutes that were a problem, and on this evidence they will struggle to find three sides worse than them to stay up.

With Rams recording an impressive bonus point win at Darlington Mowden Park, the two sides remain level on points at the top, although Chinnor widened their points difference advantage.